Cabinet locking mechanism



March 24,- 1942. w. VAN OSSELEN 2,277,142

I CABINE'P'LOCKINK MECHANISM Filed Feb. 17, 1958 s Sheeis-Sheei 1 March 24, 1942. w. VAN OSSELEN CABINET LOCKINK MECHANISM s Sheets-Shet s Filed Feb. 17, 1938 4 Q Q I 1 v v I m I 5 lr 14 O L mu 2 0 [-1 2 2 Paiented Mar. 24, 1942 STTS OFFICE CABINET LOCKING MECHANISM of the Netherlands Application February 17, 1938, Serial No. 190,890 In the Netherlands February 18,1937

3 Claims.

This invention relates to cabinets compris in addition to a locking mechanism, a visual indicating device for indicating whether the king mechanism is in closed or locked condition.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of means whereby said visual indicator is adapted to be held in the open or inoperative position as long as a door, a drawer, or another part of the cabinet adapted to be opened and shut is in open position or unlocked.

With this and other objects in View, the invention comprises a feeler arranged for cooperation with a part adapted to be opened and shut, said feeler being operatively coupled, by mechanical means, with the indicating device in such a manner as to allow the same to indicate closed position only after said part has been fully shut and the locking mechanism locked.

The drawings illustrate two embodiments of th invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic general view of a drawer cabinet provided with locking mechanism comprising an indicating device made in accordance with the invention. T e cabinet is shown in fine lines, and as if it were transparent.

Fig. 2 is a partial horizontal sectional view of the front portion of said mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of sa d p0 tion, with the drawers shut and the cabinet lock locked.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the aforesaid portion, with the cabinet lock unlocked and the drawers open.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the aforesaid portion, with the cabinet lock locked but.

with the indicating device indicating that at least one of the drawers has not yet been shut.

Fig. 6 is partly a vertical sectional view of the rear portion of the locking mechanism, partly a front elevation, with the drawers shut and the cabinet lock locked.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the porti n shown in Fig. 6. I

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the top rear portion of the mechanism in a position wherein the cabinet lock is unlocked.

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 8, but with the cabinet lock locked and one of the drawers open.

Figs. 7a, 8a, 9a show different positions of a part of the mechanism employable in the invention.

Figs. 10 and 11 are plan views of the catch members of the upper and of the lower drawer, respectively.

Referring to the diagrammatic Figure l, A is the cabinet having two drawers B and C and fitted with a push button lock D, in addition to a lifter E adapted to be operated by means of 'a knob l I and cooperating with the'drawer catches 23 in such a manner that, when the lifter is in raised position, the drawers can be opened and, when the lifter has been lowered, the drawers can be individually shut and locked.

Th lifter E and the drawer catches 23 are adapted to cooperate with the indicating device. To this end, the lifter is provided with special elements not present in lifters hitherto used.

The cabinet is fitted with a cylinder lock I' provided with a projection 2 adapted to coact with a snap spring 3. In the positions shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, said spring has entered a not-ch 4 in the stem of a push button 5, which stem, together with a laterally extending pin 6 thereof, is guided in a frame 1. Pin 6 engages an oblique slot 8 of a horizontal push bar 9, which is movable in parallel relation with the front wall .of the cabinet.

In the position wherein the cylinder look I is locked, the snap spring 3 engages the cylindrical surface of the push button stem 5, but it enters the notch 4 of said stem so as to lock the same when the latter is pushed in (Figs. 2, 3 and 5).

When the spring 3 disengages notch 4 (see Fig.

4), the push button is again released.

With the push button 5 pushed in, the bar '9 assumes its extreme right hand side position, see Figs. 2, 3 and 5. A pressure spring 9a, shown in Fig. 2, tends to urge said bar towards its extreme left hand side position, shown in Fig. 4, and thereby to throw the push button 5 out.

In order that it be unnecessary for lock D to transmit any considerable force, it mainly acts to lock and to unlock a horizontal shaft In, which extends to the rear wall of the cabinet A. This shaft carries a knob II on the front wall of the cabinet (Fig. 21), and two cranks l2 and i3. Pivoted to crank I2 is a latch element I4 movable between fixed guide pins I5. The rear end of the push button stem 5 is provided with a central pin l6, which assumes a position just opposite the end face of the latch element l4 when the knob II has been turned to the left (i. e. in counterclockwise direction) as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, and button 5 has been pushed in.

The crank pin of the crank l3 engages an elongated slot I! (Fig. 6) of a bridge piece l8, which forms part of the lifter E. The latter further comprises two parallel, suitably spaced, verticaltion and having secured thereto, as by a welding operation, two latch lugs 20 (Figs. 1, 6 and '7), a bridge piece 2| and two vertically spaced bridge pieces 22. Figs. 6 and 7 only show the upper latch lugs 20, cooperating with drawer B, and the upper bridge piece 22.

When knob H with shaft I is turned to the right, the rear crank 3 raises the lifter E, whereby the latch lugs 20 are moved out of locking engagement with catch members 23, which are hinged about horizontal axes 23a to each of the drawers B and C and are pressed by springs 24 (Fig. '7) tending to press them upward. Each catch member is composed of two horizontally spaced hooks of equal size and interconnected by a web, indicated by 45 in Figs. 6, 7 and 10, and by 46 in Fig. 11. Web 45 has a suitable recess for the passage of feeler rod 4| to be described hereinafter.

Rotation of knob H to the left, i. e. in the direction for locking the drawers, causes lifter E to descend, and if the drawers B and C are then shut, the latch lugs 21! engage the catch members 23. With the lifter E in its lowermost position and the drawers open, it is still possible to push the drawers closed, in which case the hooks of the catch members 23, owing to the cooperation of their cam faces with the latch lugs 20, are first forced down against the tension of springs 24, and thereafter snap into locking position behind said latch lugs. This snap action affects the position of the indicating device, which will now be described.

The indicating device (Figs. 1-5) comprises a plate 25, which, when the cabinet A and a backing 26 inside the cabinet are grey, is preferably painted red. The backing 26 and the plate 25 in its left hand side position are exposed through a window 21 provided in the front wall of the cabinet. The plate 25 is rotatable about a screw 28 and adapted to be swung into its extreme positions through a crank 29 and a push rod 30 mounted in alignment with the push bar 9. The latter is provided at its left hand side end with an enlargement 3| adapted to engage rod 30, which has aprojection 32 and is urged to the right by a coiled spring 33.

Cooperating with the indicating device is a horizontal locking rod 34 in parallel relation with shaft l9. Said rod has a projection 35 and is pressed by a spring 35 tending to urge it to the front side of the cabinet, i. e. to the left in Figs. 7-9. The rear end of rod 34 is pivoted to one arm 31 of a bell crank, which is rotatable about screw 39 and the second arm of which is in the form of r a strap 38.

Strap 38 is adapted to be engaged by fingers 42, 43 formed by the offset upper end portions of'vertical feeler rods 40 and 4|, respectively. Feeler rod 40 is guided by the upper bridge piece 22, and feeler rod 4| is guided by both bridge pieces 22. Both feeler rods are urged in downward direction by springs 44 mounted in the upper bridge piece 22, whereas the fingers 42, 43 are guided in vertical slots in the bridge piece 2| The springs 44, which encircle the feelers 49, 4| bear against a fixed part of the upper bridge piece 22 and against collars 43a, 4| a secured to the feelers 40 and 4|, respectively, in such a manner that, when the drawers are shut and the cabinet lock locked, i. e. in the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the lower end of the feelers rest upon the webs 45 and 43 of the drawer catches,

respectively, it being understood that the strength of the springs 24 of the catches 23 overbalances that of the springs 44. Moreover, it will be seen from these figures that in said position the collars 40a, 4|a still have some freedom of downward movement in the upper bridge piece 22, so that they could be urged down by the springs 44 through a certain distance relative to the lifter if the feeler rods 40, 4| were not arrested by the webs 45 and 46, respectively. Said distance is just a little smaller than that between the lower edge of latch 20 and the upper edges of the hooks 23 in looking position.

When the cabinet is to be opened, snap spring 3 is forced out of notch 4 by means of cylinder look I, see Fig. 4. Consequently, push bar 9 is moved to the left by spring 9a and push button 5 thereby shot out, whereas rod 3|] is pushed to the left by the enlargement 3|, so that the red plate 25 is exposed through the window 21, see Fig. 4. The knob H can now be turned to the right, since the latch 4 is nolonger arrested by pin l6, and if the knob H is so turned, the lifter E is raised by the crank 3. The projection 35, which, with the plate 25 stillis its extreme right hand side position (Figs. 2 and 3), already cleared projection 32 of the push rod 30 (Fig. 7a) is thereby still further moved forward (Fig. 8a), owing to the fingers 42, 43 of the feeler rods 4|], 4| being raised, in unison with the lifter E, from the moment wherein collars 40a, 4|a engage the upper bridge piece 22. Consequently, said fingers allow the bell crank lever 31, 38 to turn in counterclockwise direction under the influence of spring 36 (Fig. 8).

If, thereafter, the cabinet is to be closed again, cylinder lock is restored to horizontal position (Figs. 3 and 5) and knob turned to the left so as to lower the lifter E. Thereafter, push button 5 can be pushed in, since latch element l4 has already been moved out of the path of pin l6, owing to the operation of knob During the downward movement of the lifter E, both feeler rods 40, 4| follow this movement, so that after the first part of the descending motion the feeler rods and-the locking rod 34 again assume the positions shown in Figs. 6 and '7.

Assuming now that, by neglect or forgetfulness, drawer C has not been shut, feeler rod 40 will abut against the web 45 of the catch member 23 of drawer B, which has been properly shut. Since the spring 24 of said catch member is stronger than spring 44 of feeler rod 42, the latter is prevented from further descending movement, whereas feeler rod 4| continues to move down together with the lifter, until collar 4| a abuts against the upper bridge piece 22, so that finger 43 of rod 4| causes the strap 38 to move further down (Fig. 9) and the projection 35 of locking rod 34 is urged into the path of projection 32.

Downward movement of the lifter E must necessarily precede the inward movement of the button 5, that is to say, it must be completed in order that the push bar 9 can move to the right. Consequently, the push rod 30 has already been locked by projection 35 (Fig. 9a) the moment wherein bar 9 is retracted, so that rod 30 cannot follow said return movement of bar 3. Stated otherwise, the plate 25 remains exposed through window 21, as long as any of the drawers has not been properly shut.

If, with the lock D closed and drawer C still open as assumed in the foregoing part of the description, drawer C is pushed in, its catch member will first be forced down by the corresponding latch 20 and thereafter be pulled up by spring 24, whereby its web 46 will raise the feeler rod 4| so as to restore the mechanism to the position shown in Figs. 6 and '7.

Should spring 24 of either drawer break, the red plate 25 will remain exposed through window 21, as in that case the corresponding feeler rod would not be raised from the position wherein its lower end has descended below the top level of web 45 or 46.

It will be understood that it is not necessary for the plate 25 to be exposed as long as the door, or the drawers, as the case may be, has or have not been properly shut and locked. The arrangement may also be such that it is not the plate 25, but the backing 26 that is then exposed. In that case, the backing may be transparent and may be illuminated.

The number of feelers is arbitrary, as well as the mechanism whereby the movement of the feelers is transmitted to the visual indicating.

In a drawer cabinet, the association of the feelers with the ordinary lifter, as described in the embodiment shown has the advantage that, as long as the cabinet lock is unlocked, the drawers can be opened and shut without in any way afiecting the mechanism,

If the drawers are located side by side, the lifter may be adapted for horizontal, instead of vertical sliding movement, and in that case said element could better be denoted by slide or the like. Therefore, the term lifter, whenever used in this specification and in the appended claims, should be construed to also embrace said and other equivalents.

What I claim is:

1. In a cabinet provided with a part, such as a drawer, door or the like, adapted to be opened or shut, said part carrying engageable means; a locking mechanism for said part, an indicating device, means operatively coupling said device with said locking mechanism so as to hold it in one position as long as said locking mechanism remains unlocked and in another position when the locking mechanism is locked, a feeler adapted for cooperation with said engageable means carried on said part, and mechanical means cooperating with both said feeler and with said indicating device to maintain said device in said one position as long as said part is not properly shut, and under the control of said feeler to allow said device to move to said another position when said part is properly shut.

2. In a cabinet provided with a plurality of parts, such as drawers, doors or the like, adapted to be opened or shut, each of said parts having a catch member; a locking mechanism for said parts, an indicating device operatively coupled with said locking mechanism so as to be held in one position as long as said locking mechanism remains unlocked and in another position when the locking mechanism is locked, said indicating device including an element, said element being adapted for holding said indicating device in said one position independently of said locking mechanism, lifter means adjacent said catch members and adapted to be moved from a position wherein it engages said catch members to a position wherein it disengages said members when the said locking mechanism is unlocked and the said parts are shut, and a plurality of feelers, one for each of said .parts and adapted to be moved with said lifter means into the path of a respective catch member, said feelers being arranged to cooperate with said element to move the latter to said holding position when a part is open and said lifter means moves to locking position.

3. In a cabinet provided with a plurality of parts, such as drawers, doors or the like, adapted to be opened or shut, each of said parts having a catch member; a locking mechanism for said parts, an indicating device operatively coupled with said locking mechanism so as to be held in one position as long as said locking mechanism remains unlocked and in another position when the locking mechanism is locked, said indicating device including an element, said element being adapted for holding said indicating devicein said one position independently of said locking mechanism, lifter means adjacent said catch members and adapted to be moved from a position wherein it engages said catch members to a position wherein it disengages said members when the said locking mechanism is unlocked and the said parts are shut, a plurality of feeler rods, one feeler rod for each of said parts, said feeler rods being mounted at said lifter means for lengthwise movement relative thereto, means operatively coupling each of said feeler rods with said locking mechanism, each of said feeler rods being adapted to be moved with said lifter means into the path of the catch member of its part and to cooperate through said coupling means with said element to move the latter to holding position in the event that, during movement of said lifter to locking position, the feeler rod of its parts does not engage with said catch member, but to be moved by said catch member relatively to said lifter means to impede movement of said element when, during the movement of said lifter means, said feeler rod is arrested by said catch member.

WILLEM VAN OSSELEN. 

